Alexander the Great

Once there was a little mouse named Alexander who dreamt of being big and strong and courageous like his favorite superhero, Mighty Bruno. Alexander and his family are all afraid of Rats, the cat with the long, sharp claws who lives upstairs, and Alexander's father, who has lost part of his tail to her, is so terrified that he no longer dares venture upstairs in

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Overview

Once there was a little mouse named Alexander who dreamt of being big and strong and courageous like his favorite superhero, Mighty Bruno. Alexander and his family are all afraid of Rats, the cat with the long, sharp claws who lives upstairs, and Alexander's father, who has lost part of his tail to her, is so terrified that he no longer dares venture upstairs in search of food for the family. So Alexander must put his dreams of glory to the test. He fashions a bear suit, which makes him feel bigger and stronger and brave enough to undertake the dangerous quest for food. And he succeedsuntil the last minute, when Rats sneaks up behind him and sinks her teeth into his bear suit. It looks like curtains for Alexander! How a plucky little mouse in a bear costume saves his family from starvation and wins the heart of a not-so-vicious cat in the process is a charming variation on the popular cat and mouse tale.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Bos and de Beer, the creators of Ollie the Elephant, team up for a tale about a mouse with high hopes. Alexander wishes more than anything that he could be as brave as his favorite superhero, a bear named Mighty Bruno. "Mice should be cautious--not bold and daring," counsels his worried mother. Father Mouse has been too terrified to venture upstairs in search of food since he lost his tail in a run-in with Rats, the household cat. But when supplies dwindle to nothing, Alexander takes matters into his own paws. He crafts a bear costume modeled after his idol, and thus begins a double life. Some readers may have trouble believing that Rats, after catching the hero in the act of pilfering some cheese, adopts him as one of her own kittens. But the illustrations of Alexander's diminutive household will launch readers' imaginations. One painting shows a miniature village beneath the kitchen floor, with tiny houses, tables and chairs--even a light fixture that extends from a high beam. And vignettes of Alexander sewing his bear disguise and cavorting about the house in his costume will draw many chuckles. Ages 5-8. (Nov.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal - School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Alexander dreams of a life as full of adventure as that of his favorite comic-book hero, Mighty Bruno. When there is no food left to eat, the young mouse must try to outwit the house cat, Rats, to save his family. He sews a bear costume out of his mother's fur coat and bravely ventures upstairs. Rats quickly catches Alexander by the scruff of his bear suit, but instead of eating him, she plunks him down with her kittens and adopts him. Dividing his time between his mouse and cat families provides Alexander with the excitement he craves. As the ending reveals, "Alexander wasn't really fooling Rats.-She knew very well that he was a mouse, but she had come to love him." De Beer's illustrations are full of witty details; children will be particularly amused by the sight of Alexander's pointy nose sticking out from his ill-fitting costume. A fun read-aloud title with lots of child appeal.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.